Communications agency Orchard and sustainability consultancy ESI Monitor (ESI) are working together to promote the transparent communication of sustainable practice.
With the UK set to host COP26 later this year, global pressure for organisations to act sustainably through the Paris Agreement’s international treaty on climate change and the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, environmental social and governance (ESG) factors have become a fundamental subject for every business.
Many organisations are looking to implement accreditable standards across their operations and are finding they need to communicate clearly about their ESG credentials, whether that is to regulators, stakeholders, clients, customers or the general public.
Orchard and ESI will help organisations navigate sustainability by developing CSR and ESG narratives, devising communication strategies, content generation and internal communication programmes.
Chris Chilton, managing director, operations at Orchard, said: “Sustainability is a vital building block of reputation and it’s essential that businesses communicate measures they are taking to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices.
“There is a risk that companies may not communicate their credentials accurately, and despite good intentions some actually mislead their employees and the public – commonly known as ‘greenwashing’. Or they under-communicate when they’ve implemented effective strategies and don’t get the recognition they deserve.”
According to a recent Twitter Trends report, consumers are demanding a new level of accountability of businesses big and small, with a 53% growth in conversation online surrounding sustainability and organisations’ environmental impacts.
Marc Laine, managing director of ESI Monitor, said: “Climate change is on the world’s agenda. Businesses have a responsibility to follow and act on changes that make a difference to the environment.
“Our partnership with Orchard enhances our mission to drive the transition to sustainability and inspire continual improvement – through measurement, benchmarking, and adaption.”
As part of its commitment to sustainable business practices Orchard is undertaking ESI’s Environmental Business Operations Framework to better understand and minimise its impact on the environment.
